


Pat, pat, pat, with love

by runback2renjun



Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: Aged-Up Character(s), Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Angst with a Happy Ending, Established Relationship, Hurt/Comfort, Light Angst, M/M, Mentioned Zhong Chen Le, References to Depression, support dream's upcoming comeback, there's just light angst i swear renjun is just upset
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-19
Updated: 2019-07-19
Packaged: 2020-07-08 17:56:08
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,648
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19873699
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/runback2renjun/pseuds/runback2renjun
Summary: When Renjun cooks ramen the way Chenle has taught him, it's a sign he had a bad day and seeks for immediate comfort.





	Pat, pat, pat, with love

**Author's Note:**

> Inspired by Chenle's ramen and my crisis of college in general
> 
> Title from the first line of the lyrics of Kang's Kitchen ost <3

Removing his suit, Renjun strides toward the kitchen not even bothering to change the rest of his clothes. He got out a tomato from the fridge, a pack of ramen, and a chili sauce his friend Chenle gets him from their homeland. Though, Renjun only uses it when cooking _this_ ramen specially.

Aggressively dropping the chopped tomato in the pot with nearly boiling water and adding two spoons full of the chili sauce and the ramen powder with shaking hands, he took a deep breath,

_Inhale_

_Exhale_

_Inhale_

_Exhale_

Calmly stirring the contents with a chopstick, he then added the ramen noodles.

Leaning on the island in front of the stove, he unconsciously tracks back on what happened at his work earlier.

He looks blankly at the boiling pot in front of him.

_He helplessly looks at his side, a worried face greeted him._

_He knows where this is going._

_He was taught to know where this is going._

_And it was not supposed to go this way._

_"We find the defendant_

_not guilty."_

_Not guilty._

_Not guilty._

_Not guilty._

_All hours spent on this case,_

_reviewing evidences,_

_and defending his client,_

_are all wasted._

_The rookie lawyer couldn't even focus on the judge's last words._   
_The next thing he knew, the court is dismissed._

Jeno came home with the scent of a familiar dish reaching to his nose.

_Oh no._

He drops his backpack in the sofa and rushes to the kitchen, finding his Renjun staring at the cooking ramen. Seemingly not noticing his presence, he walks to turn off the stove.

Seeing Jeno in front of him, he snaps out of his thoughts and reached for a pot holder. After filling the bowl in the table he placed in advance with the cooked ramen, he sits down and starts eating.

_Ah, I forgot to put the egg._

Jeno's heart aches whenever this happens. He's always the first one to see his boyfriend in this state ever since they all became roommates during college, even before they were boyfriends. Especially now since he's a teacher and he comes home earlier than their other boyfriend Jaemin, who's a veterinarian and comes home at 7 in the evening. He gets used to their Renjun cooking his comfort food and being ignored by him because of the negative feelings eating him up, but it doesn't mean it hurt any less.

He quickly changes into comfortable clothes and sending a text to Jaemin, asking him to buy a box of their Renjun's favorite donuts and heads to their dining table.

Taking a seat beside Renjun, he does what he does best.

Letting the other know his presence is there, providing a comfortable silence.

Renjun felt all of the tension in his body loose as a warm tear down his left cheek.

Looking down at his half-eaten ramen, what happened earlier finally sinks in. Add that to Jeno's comforting presence, he couldn't help but burst at the multiple emotions he's feeling at once.

It's when his boyfriend lovingly patted his head he loudly sobs and covered his face. He felt Jeno pull him in an embrace and removing his own hands to put them around his comforting boyfriend's back. 

He sobs and sobs, mentally telling himself he's sorry for wetting Jeno's shirt with his tears. Though he was sure he wouldn't mind.

"I... today-"

"Wait baobei," the mentioned boyfriend suddenly hugged him tighter. He internally coos, _"It must've really been a bad day."_ he thought.

"Do you really want to tell me now? Or do you want to wait for Jaemin?" Jeno mentions and intentionally half-reminding Renjun that he doesn't want to repeat what happened on a bad day.

Trying to get a grip, Renjun responds "Yes let's wait for him." He then felt Jeno separating himself from him and looked at him in the eyes for a few seconds.

What Renjun sees is a boyfriend determined to help him.

What Jeno sees is a boyfriend desperate to rewind everything and perfect everything.

Jeno then gives Renjun a kiss in the forehead.

"Okay, I'll bring you comfortable clothes. Why don't you wash up for a bit first, hmm?"

Slightly nodding, Jeno helped him stand up and gave him a hug.

When Jaemin received Jeno's text, he was coincidentally in front of the Krispy Kreme store near his workplace. He didn't think twice and bought two boxes of original glazed donuts. He bought another one because he felt that this was an extra bad day for their Renjun, knowing that he was talking about a case he was hired to work with.

Renjun lists all of the cases he was hired in ever since he got that well-deserved title. Currently on his second year and eighth case, he knew the moment Jeno texted him that something went wrong.

Possibly, losing a case.

This would be the first case he lost.

He impatiently waits for a taxi.

Jaemin comes home seeing Renjun's head placed on Jeno's lap who's stroking and patting his hair. He also notes the lighted buttercream scented candle he smelled from when he opened their door, and an empty bowl with red residue.

He sighs which made Renjun's half-lidded eyes open and look at him, while Jeno gives him a warming smile.

Sitting on the floor in front of their Chinese boyfriend, he couldn't help but also place a hand on his head.

"Are you okay now baobei?" he starts.

"It's already done. I can't dwell on it." _I need to move forward_ , he thinks.

"May you tell us what happened?" Jaemin then shifted the hand on their oldest boyfriend's head to his hand and held it loosely. Jeno's other hand holds the unoccupied hand of the said lover.

"Basically," Renjun started, a small smile forming on his face.

"I lost a case. They found the opposing party not guilty. I freed a criminal." Both younger boyfriends felt the other's grip on their hands tighten as they saw a tear rolled on his face.

When silence enveloped them, he added "Well that's it." he then let go of their hands and stood up, wiping the track the tear left his face.

They might not know how bad Renjun still feels, but they do know how this would affect him both positively and negatively.

Renjun convinced his parents to study in Seoul mainly because he wanted to be away from them. They agreed to his decision (without knowing the latter statement) but only with the condition of studying law instead of what he really wanted, astronomy.

The older's parents were strict on his academics. Being the only child, they wanted him to excel at every subject. They would punish him if he halved a score, if his rank dropped, even that one time when he expressed he wanted to learn French but his father told him to study English more instead. Because of the strict environment, he naturally became an introvert. He couldn't hang out much with his friends because he would either review his notes or would prefer resting instead.

However, during his second year in high school, he met his younger, more energetic friend, Chenle.

The ball of sunshine in Renjun's life, lighting up and guiding him especially during his darkest times during high school.

Every time Renjun would get punished, he would call Chenle and strike up a conversation. The younger only asking what happened when he finally calmed down.

In his home country, it was only Chenle who stuck with him until he graduated in high school.

It was then that made Renjun realize having even just one friend is enough to survive.

Although admittedly, his parents would be lenient to him sometimes long as it wouldn't tarnish their family name.

That's when he got his love for astronomy.

At night he would sometimes go at his grandmother's place to just stargaze. He would stretch his hands to the sky as his eyes reflect the twinkling of the stars. Wanting to know more what lies over the thinning ozone layer, curious about what happens every moment in space, and seeking answers of if there are other life forms out there.

But then again, he doesn't defy his parents' wishes.

So it was a miracle indeed that he got to study and graduate in Seoul, and eventually living there with his boyfriends.

And it was an answered prayer when his parents acknowledged his two lovers.

"I knew it was bound to happen. Losing a case, I mean. I just didn't know it would be this soon."

He exhaled before continuing, "Now that I've experienced it, I need to know how to cope. It's impossible for me to win every case I'll get. So when times like these happen, I need to move forward and polish myself better."

He sees his lovers looking back at him full of awe and pride.

That sight put a smile on his face.

Jaemin stood up and gave him a hug, cradling his head tightly while he felt Jeno hug him from his side, slightly crushing his body. Nonetheless, it's welcoming.

The former then let go of his head and gave him a long kiss. After breaking it, Jeno immediately held his cheek and also gave him a long kiss. Jaemin knelt down on the floor and also gave their teacher boyfriend a long kiss.

While the younger two were kissing, Renjun squished himself in between them to reach for the boxes of donuts. Seeing what the older is doing, they separated their bodies making Renjun fall to the floor.

_"We'll always move forward and polish ourselves better."_ Jaemin thought after chuckling at the scene in front of him. Not only referring to their careers in lives, but also referring to themselves as individuals and lovers.

He then looks at their Renjun smile at them widely after taking a bite of his favorite donut.


End file.
